Notable Minnesota Moms: Rachel Swardson Wenham, Go Home Gorgeous

by Julie Burton

Think back for a minute...how did you feel when you left the hospital with your newborn baby? Personally, whether it was with my first, second, third, or fourth child, words that come to my mind are exhausted, overwhelmed, slightly terrified, and of course, grateful. How 'bout GORGEOUS??? Uh, NO!!!! Rachel Swardson Wenham, who had three babies in nearly three years, is on a mission to add that word to the list. This past summer, Rachel founded Go Home Gorgeous, a company that offers a chance for new mothers to no longer leave the hospital exhausted and sore, but rather have them Go Home Gorgeous, feeling confident, rested, and ready. Through in-hospital massage, night nanny care and beautiful gifts that aid in recovery she hopes to ease the discomfort of what Rachel so eloquently describes as the "dreaded and neglected fourth trimester."

After having her first baby, Rachel left the hospital a day early, eager to see her newborn son in his fully childproofed, lavishly decorated nursery. She didn't realize until she got home that she was prepared for his every waking and sleeping need, but had completely neglected the needs of her new non-pregnant body. "My tummy went from cute basketball-belly to squishy Homer-Simpson-gut after delivery! Worst part was I had no clothes or even underwear that fit!" says Rachel, who had to send her husband to Target hours after returning home with their new baby.

When returning home with her second baby, Rachel often felt lonely and isolated as one of her two babies was usually napping, keeping her housebound. After giving birth to her third child (within three years of the first), she lay in the hospital bed looking at her dry, cracked hands, her veiny swollen feet, and unstimulating hospital room and thought, "This is not healing. This is not wellness. I don't want to leave here still tired and sore. I want go home gorgeous!" She immediately grabbed the nearest sheet of paper, which turned out to be the lactation instruction sheet, and began to sketch out what would become the business plan for Go Home Gorgeous.

"I wanted to take the 48 hours that they give you in the hospital and make them better. If we can't have more time, let's have better time. With massage, aromatherapy, soothing music, and soft lighting." But life with three little kids obstructed any thoughts of Go Home Gorgeous the minute she left the hospital. "The idea sheet literally sat in a pile of papers on my thinking table for over two years!"

By divine coincidence, her best friend Martha Sullivan happened upon the paper accidentally and fell in love with the idea. Martha says, "It was everything that any new mother would want and should have. It felt like a total no-brainer and I knew that there was no one but Rachel that could pull it off!" Martha and Rachel's little brother Nick Swardson provided the capital that she needed to get it off the ground. "The most important pieces of it to me were the little details. The gorgeous pink lab coats (think Pinkie Tuskadero meets Dr. 90210) that the staff would wear so that our clients would know who we were without introduction and would feel comfortable bringing us into their hospital room or home. It was the ribbon and packaging on the gifts, and of course the gifts themselves."

Rachel went to several retailers in The Galleria for support and input on the gifts. "It is always annoying to get a gift in a gift box but have no idea what it really is or where it came from. The absence of identifying the origin of a product makes it just feel like stuff." As a result the Go Home Gorgeous gift boxes are very elegant and contain products found in or from L'Occitane, Que Sera, Tiffany & Co, as well as Epitome Papers. "The Galleria also has the best kept secret in town; gorgeous nursing lounges. It is the perfect outing for a new mom," adds Rachel.

All I can say is: Where was Go Home Gorgeous when I had my babies?! To have someone come to my hospital room wearing a cute pink lab coat and turn my room into a spa-spital room, give me a neck, shoulder, and foot massage, I may have been willing to give up all pain meds after my c-sections (well, maybe not the Percocet). But after going home four times feeling very non-gorgeous, I would highly recommend giving a Go Home Gorgeous package to your favorite pregnant friend or even YOURSELF! Forget the baby gifts--this one is for MOM!!! Go to www.gohomegorgeous.com for more information.